Randy Reyes directs “Murder for Two”

Mayhem, mystery, and music come to Park Square September 18 – November 1

One dead body, two actors, and suspects galore

Saint Paul, Minn. (Aug. 27, 2015) – Park Square continues its 41st season next month with the Minnesota premiere of the musical comedy MURDER FOR TWO on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage. The whodunit by Kellen Blair (book and lyrics) and Joe Kinosian (book and music) is the perfect blend of music, mayhem and murder. In this hilarious 90-minute show, two performers play thirteen roles – not to mention the piano – in a witty and winking homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries. “This high-octane musical mystery extravaganza demands a tour de force performance from two comedic-piano playing-singer-actors,” says director Randy Reyes. Stephen Houtz musical directs the caper, which the New York Times called “Ingenious! A snazzy double-act that spins out a comic mystery animated by funny, deftly turned songs.”

Officer Marcus Moscowicz is a small town policeman with dreams of making it to detective. One fateful night, shots ring out at the surprise birthday party of Great American Novelist Arthur Whitney and the writer is killed! With the nearest detective an hour away, Marcus jumps at the chance to prove his sleuthing skills. Everyone is a suspect in this hilarious miniature musical murder mystery filled with patter songs and comic ballads. One actor (Nic Delcambre) in this daring Vaudevillian duo investigates the crime. The other (Andrea Wollenberg*) plays all the suspects. And they both play the piano.

Randy Reyes, artistic director, Mu Performing Arts.

On the heels of Park Square’s highly popular Sherlock Holmes adaptations, MURDER FOR TWO continues a new tradition of mystery plays at Park Square. Inspired by Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe, and the hard-boiled heroes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, MURDER FOR TWO adds a lethal dose of healthy humor to the surprise and shocks of literature’s best whodunits. The show is produced with special support from Park Square’s Mystery Writers Producers’ Club and Wells Pianos.

Park Square will continue its season in November with Athol Fugard’s searing and timely drama My Children! My Africa! (November 11-29) on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage.

MURDER FOR TWO Performance Schedule: Previews begin Friday, September 18 and run through Sept. 24. Opening Night is Sept. 25, and the run continues through Nov. 1. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. except for Saturday and Sunday matinees, which begin at 2 p.m. All performances are in the company’s Andy Boss Thrust Stage in the lower level of Saint Paul’s historic Hamm Building, 408 St. Peter Street.

Ticket prices: Previews: $27 and $37. Regular Run: $40 and $60. A $2 facility fee will be added to each ticket to help maintain Park Square’s two stages. Discounts are available for seniors, those under age 30, and groups. Tickets are on sale at the Park Square ticket office, 20 W. Seventh Place, or by phone: 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m.Mondaythrough Friday), or online at www.parksquaretheatre.org.

A price for you (yes you). Pay a sliding scale of $15, $25 or $35 for general admission seating. Reserve the seats you prefer for $40 (which includes a drink voucher).

New! 2 Sugar Tuesday(calendar code = T)

Join Carolyn Pool and Shanan Custer (of 2 Sugars, Room for Cream) at 7pm for a cup of your favorite poison and the Twin Cities’ most unique warm-up act. $20 includes a drink voucher and general admission seating to the show.

Next on the Andy Boss Thrust Stage

MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA!

By ATHOL FUGARD

Directed by JAMES A. WILLIAMS

Previews: November 11-12, 2015

Opening Night: November 13, 2015

Regular Run: November 14-29, 2015

Regional Premiere/Drama

In 1984, in a segregated township in South Africa, an idealistic teacher believes education— and poetry — can create a better future for his students. Amid anti-apartheid rioting, Mr. M hopes to offer reconciliation by forming a debate club between his black school and the local white school. But as neighborhood tensions escalate, students and teacher find themselves along the blurry line between revolution and terrorism. The shocking conclusion is a timely reminder that one person’s tragedy and a community’s deep sense of loss are inextricably linked. “…the real power of a history play is to make us realize that then is now and them is us.” –Variety